Pelargonium plant named ‘Fipelmaswhi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Pelargonium  plant named ‘Fipelmaswhi’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading growth habit; rounded plant habit; freely basal branching habit; vigorous growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; semi-double white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIPELMASWHI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, commercially referred to as Zonal Geranium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fipelmaswhi’.

The new Pelargonium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous, freely-branching and freely-flowering Pelargonium plants that have good high temperature performance.

The new Pelargonium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2005 in De Lier, The Netherlands of Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisrowi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,389, as the female, or seed, parent with Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisum White’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,442, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pelargonium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, in March, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Pelargonium plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands, since July, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Pelargonium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Pelargonium have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fipelmaswhi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fipelmaswhi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium plant:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading growth habit;         rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Vigorous growth habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Semi-double white-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Pelargonium differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Fisrowi’, in flower form as plants of ‘Fisrowi’ have single-type flowers. In addition, plants of the new Pelargonium are more rounded than plants of ‘Fisrowi’.

Plants of the new Pelargonium differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Fisum White’, in growth habit as plants of the new Pelargonium are more vigorous than plants of ‘Fisum White’. In addition, leaves of plants of the new Pelargonium have a distinct zonation pattern whereas leaves of plants of ‘Fisum White’ do not have a distinct zonation pattern.

Plants of the new Pelargonium can be compared to plants of Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Glacis’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Pelargonium differed from plants of ‘Glacis’ primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Pelargonium were more rounded than plants of ‘Glacis’. In addition, leaves of plants of the new Pelargonium had a more distinct zonation pattern than leaves of plants of ‘Glacis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Pelargonium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Pelargonium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fipelmaswhi’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the spring in 17-cm containers in De Lier, The Netherlands in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Pelargonium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 18° C. and night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 16° C. Plants were 12 and 13 weeks old when the photograph and the description, respectively, were taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fipelmaswhi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisrowi’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,389.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Pelargonium×hortorum ‘Fisum White’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,442. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four days at             temperatures of 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures of 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 16 days             at temperatures of 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 21 days             at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching, medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and habit.—Upright and somewhat outwardly             spreading growth habit; rounded and uniformly mounded plant             habit; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous growth habit; freely             basal branching habit with about eight to ten basal branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 39 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 2 cm to 16 cm. Diameter:             About 5 mm to 8 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 4 cm.             Texture: Pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:             Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 7.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 11.5 cm to 13 cm.         -   Shape.—Orbicular.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescent.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to N137B; venation, close to N137B. Developing and             fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to 146C. Zonation pattern: Location: Center             of the leaf. Width: About 2 cm. Color: Close to 147A.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 9 cm to 11 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Semi-double rotate flowers arranged in             rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils;             umbels displayed above the foliage on strong peduncles;             flowers face upright to outward.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 13 to 15             umbels develop per plant each umbel with about 38 to 42             flowers and flower buds.         -   Flowering season.—In The Netherlands, flowering is             continuous from late spring until frost in the autumn; early             flowering habit, plants begin flowering about six to eight             weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Depending on environmental conditions,             individual flowers last about 2 to 14 days on the plant;             flowers persistent.         -   Umbel height.—About 8 cm to 9 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 9 cm to 10 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.             Shape: Globular to elliptical. Color: Close to NN155D.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About six to seven. Length:             About 2.5 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm to 2.3 cm. Shape:             Spatulate to obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to NN155D. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to NN155D.         -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: Typically four or five.             Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Irregularly             shaped; obovate to irregularly oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155D. When opening             and fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Lobate to truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely             pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146C to             146D.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 21 cm to 24 cm.             Diameter: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Erect             to about 30° C. from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 146B.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm.             Diameter: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Angle: Erect to about 60° C. from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About one to six. Filament length: About 6 mm to 8 mm.             Filament color: Close to NN155D. Anther length: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Close to N163A.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 33B.             Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:             About 9 mm to 12 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering; reflexed.             Stigma color: Close to NN155D. Style length: About 4 mm to             5 mm. Style color: Close to NN155D. Ovary color: Close to             146A.         -   Fruits/seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Pelargonium have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Pelargoniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Pelargonium have been observed     to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to     about 45° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct Pelargonium plant named ‘Fipelmaswhi’ as illustrated and described. 